Johnny will-o'-the-wisp looks like Peter Pan the way he darts around here and there like an elusive little pixie; the guy could make you miss in a phone book...jumps in and out of DL's clutches, then outruns DB's, amazing - Johnny Football is flat-out fun to watch. Not a bad arm either. Barring injury (heaven forbid) half the NFL should be tripping over each other in 2015 trying and vying for #1 pick in the draft...maybe even a replay of the "suck for Luck" (Andrew) late season tanking from the QB-starved NFL also rans in Dec., 2014. No "franchise QBs" in this upcoming draft, Jadeveon Clowney (DE, SC) the #1 pick in 2014 and Johnny Manziel in 2015.

And the S.E.C. (and their long time supporters) should embrace the A&M newcomer for restoring the S.E.C. 'brand' this past weekend (along with Ole Miss and their "home game" win).

Where is Johnny Football from??? Was he recruited hard from other schools in the south?

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Not really - Texas wanted him but only as a D Back or Safety......A & M the only big school that offered him the shot at QB. He wanted to goto Texas....that was "his" school growing up.

He is from Tyler (east Texas) and grew up and played HS Football in Kerrville (central part of the state).
he was a top 100 recruit out of HS so he was getting tons of attention but is undersized for some programs ( considering the state of Texas football and lack of find solid QBs I find that funny)

Considering there are books of Aggie jokes we could have a thread of nothing but

But the biggest joke is not on an Aggie - after graduation having that ring and degree you are set for life!

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There is a thread not exclusively dedicated to Aggie jokes but they are part of the title. I actually heard that joke from a Bama fan and it slammed school curriculum at their rival's campus on The Plains. It was worth translating in response to the previous joke, but only in a purely TIC vein. I love your school's traditions and enthusiasm and I'm sure there's a lot of first-rate education going on there!

Not really - Texas wanted him but only as a D Back or Safety......A & M the only big school that offered him the shot at QB. He wanted to goto Texas....that was "his" school growing up.

He is from Tyler (east Texas) and grew up and played HS Football in Kerrville (central part of the state).
he was a top 100 recruit out of HS so he was getting tons of attention but is undersized for some programs ( considering the state of Texas football and lack of find solid QBs I find that funny)

Not really - Texas wanted him but only as a D Back or Safety......A & M the only big school that offered him the shot at QB. He wanted to goto Texas....that was "his" school growing up.

He is from Tyler (east Texas) and grew up and played HS Football in Kerrville (central part of the state).
he was a top 100 recruit out of HS so he was getting tons of attention but is undersized for some programs ( considering the state of Texas football and lack of find solid QBs I find that funny)

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I love when Texas misses out. Has to be tough to swallow for Horn fans... The kid went with A&M.

Not really - Texas wanted him but only as a D Back or Safety......A & M the only big school that offered him the shot at QB. He wanted to goto Texas....that was "his" school growing up.

He is from Tyler (east Texas) and grew up and played HS Football in Kerrville (central part of the state).
he was a top 100 recruit out of HS so he was getting tons of attention but is undersized for some programs ( considering the state of Texas football and lack of find solid QBs I find that funny)

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Oregon also offered him a scholarship as a QB. He initially committed to Oregon but withdrew and then committed to A&M. He and Mariota were part of the same QB class, and Johnny didn't want to compete against Marcus.

To think that both of those guys almost ended up on the same team is wild. As it stands I'm thrilled with Mariota, and I'm really happy for Manziel that he got the chance to play QB (and be amazing at it), for a big time program.

I don't know if it's quite that lopsided, but I like Bama tonight by 2 TDs.

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Me too, though Dedans might be on the right track. We'll know early on if ND's D line can stop the rushing attack. If Bama is up at the half, it might be bad news, as we know how other teams seem to wear out in the 2nd half against those SEC lines.

By the way Big, looks like your Ducks are keeping Chip. I guess those boosters like him well enough, eh?

Oregon also offered him a scholarship as a QB. He initially committed to Oregon but withdrew and then committed to A&M. He and Mariota were part of the same QB class, and Johnny didn't want to compete against Marcus.

To think that both of those guys almost ended up on the same team is wild. As it stands I'm thrilled with Mariota, and I'm really happy for Manziel that he got the chance to play QB (and be amazing at it), for a big time program.

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This is almost parallel to Harbaugh recruiting Luck & RG3 at the same time. Could you imagine that backfield???

Me too, though Dedans might be on the right track. We'll know early on if ND's D line can stop the rushing attack. If Bama is up at the half, it might be bad news, as we know how other teams seem to wear out in the 2nd half against those SEC lines.

By the way Big, looks like your Ducks are keeping Chip. I guess those boosters like him well enough, eh?

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Shocked that Chip is sticking around. My gut says he's waiting for the right NFL job (Carolina comes to mind), but I'm OK whenever he leaves. When I was a freshman, Oregon won 6 games. Going to a bowl game was a big deal...I never thought I'd have these last four years as a Duck fan, and whenever Chip leaves I'll wish him the best.

That said, I'm thrilled to have him back, and hope we can keep Helfrich until Chip leaves.

Me too, though Dedans might be on the right track. We'll know early on if ND's D line can stop the rushing attack. If Bama is up at the half, it might be bad news, as we know how other teams seem to wear out in the 2nd half against those SEC lines.

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That's obviously the big question KT: Warmack, Jones, Fluker, etc. vs. Nix & co. not to mention a batter ram in Lacy and the speedy Yeldon. I think this could be fairly close for a while, say, 24-13, but even if ND's stout against the run, I still recall Pitt gashing them on the ground, the same Pitt-that-spit-the-bit last Saturday against Ole ****. As that goes, so the game will go.

Ok, let's say 24-13 mid-3rd quarter: ND safeties start 'walking up' and I see (sooner or later) McCarron hitting Amari Cooper on a bomb (off a play action fake) for a TD...31-13. Notre Dame like many other teams, doesn't have a DB that can hang with Cooper deep, esp. off play action. Add to that a possible "short field" turnover at the end from an offense that really isn't high tech/comeback to begin with (from a 1st year starting QB possibly trying to force it) and 'Bama maybe gets a cheap, late TD to close out the scoring. There is a reason why it's a 10-point spread. What little heart Vegas has, it sure as hell (along with the smart money) usually stays in Vegas.

On the other hand, I wouldn't be surprised with Kelly going for a quick strike very early in the game (get up a 'quick 6'), during the "feeling out" period when 'Bama figures on them trying to establish their running game. About their running game: ND must not panic and prematurely abandon their running game even if it's not working well at first....that ND kid's still a freshman QB and one whose been lifted at times during the season (e.g. Stanford) and in no way should Brian Kelly want to put the entire game on his shoulders (i.e. in his head).

That's obviously the big question KT: Warmack, Jones, Fluker, etc. vs. Nix & co. not to mention a batter ram in Lacy and the speedy Yeldon. I think this could be fairly close for a while, say, 24-13, but even if ND's stout against the run, I still recall Pitt gashing them on the ground, the same Pitt-that-spit-the-bit last Saturday against Ole ****. As that goes, so the game will go.

Ok, let's say 24-13 mid-3rd quarter: ND safeties start 'walking up' and I see (sooner or later) McCarron hitting Amari Cooper on a bomb (off a play action fake) for a TD...31-13. Notre Dame like many other teams, doesn't have a DB that can hang with Cooper deep, esp. off play action. Add to that a possible "short field" turnover at the end from an offense that really isn't high tech/comeback to begin with (from a 1st year starting QB possibly trying to force it) and 'Bama maybe gets a cheap, late TD to close out the scoring. There is a reason why it's a 10-point spread. What little heart Vegas has, it sure as hell (along with the smart money) usually stays in Vegas.

On the other hand, I wouldn't be surprised with Kelly going for a quick strike very early in the game (get up a 'quick 6'), during the "feeling out" period when 'Bama figures on them trying to establish their running game. About their running game: ND must not panic and prematurely abandon their running game even if it's not working well at first....that ND kid's still a freshman QB and one whose been lifted at times during the season (e.g. Stanford) and in no way should Brian Kelly want to put the entire game on his shoulders (i.e. in his head).

You should be an ESPN analyst, DP. Bama's 1-2 punch from the backfield will be tough to handle. And just as you mentioned, that leaves ND open to play action and short screen passes, particularly later in the game if the Bama running game is working. If either team pulls out the 'trickeration' early and often, it will be ND and that's a big roll of the dice against the Tide.

Ouch. Even worse than I imagined. Te'o got a taste of NFL life and looked like a career backup. I thought I was watching Bama vs Kentucky for a minute...except even KY wouldn't miss so many tackles. Run, run, run, play action, run, run, screen, run, TD. Repeat. Bama was on autopilot. Game was over in 15 minutes.

Notre Dame was noticeably smaller in size on both sides of the ball. My wife who does not know anything about football even saw the difference. Men versus boys.

The final rankings in the Coaches Poll are interesting. They don't really take into account head to head matchups during the season like the AP poll mostly does with UF, FSU, Clemson and South Carolina.

DP you were dead on in your analysis. ND having a freshman QB certainly didn't help. I wonder why Brian Kelly didn't go to Tommy Rees early. Yeah you want your freshman QB to learn but you may not get another title shot any time soon.

heck of a prediction. Yours was probably the closest I saw. I thought Bama would win but not like that. I had 50 on them but if I had the view of the game that you did, I would have bet my house on it.

Honestly can't say I was that surprised with the result. This was a ND team that was lucky to even get there. Should have lost to a 6-7 Pitt team, had a tough time against Purdue and BYU, and even got a tough game from a freshman QB-led USC team. Shame Oregon couldn't keep up its end of the bargain. Still think Bama would have won, but it would have been closer than ND me thinks.

heck of a prediction. Yours was probably the closest I saw. I thought Bama would win but not like that. I had 50 on them but if I had the view of the game that you did, I would have bet my house on it.

Honestly can't say I was that surprised with the result. This was a ND team that was lucky to even get there. Should have lost to a 6-7 Pitt team, had a tough time against Purdue and BYU, and even got a tough game from a freshman QB-led USC team. Shame Oregon couldn't keep up its end of the bargain. Still think Bama would have won, but it would have been closer than ND me thinks.

Simply didn't expect ND to get owned so badly on Defense. I anticipated a tougher 1st half, ultimately leading to Bama wearing down the Irish and running away with it. I was wrong. Could have easily been 63-0 I think if Alabama had been so inclined.

Here's my issue with Notre Dame...Even when they don't pass the eye test, they get the benefit of the doubt. Their schedule this year wasn't the gauntlet people expected. Michigan and MSU were down. They struggled with Pitt, BYU and Purdue. Their best win was a controversial OT win against Stanford, before they switched QBs to Hogan (who went undefeated as a starter and beat 4 ranked teams).

I think it was clear to most people who watched the games that ND wasn't the best team in the country, or even #2, but they "beat the system" and so they got to go to Miami. They could easily go 11-1 next year and be right back in this same spot with some help from voters (who LOOOOVVVEEEEE the Irish), and in a four team playoff I could see them being a mainstay, simply based on their fan base and history.

Their closest game was a 2TD loss to Ohio State. They just don't belong in these type of games.

One interesting note: For all the talk of "ND equals ratings", as if it's some justification of voting them into these games, the ratings from last nights game were a 15.7, which was up from 2012's title game, but down from Oregon-Auburn's 16.1 from 2011. Highest overall rating was USC/Texas in 2006 which got a 21.7 overnight.

I'm not so sure ND's arse-chewing last night won't hurt recruiting. They may have been better off with a close regular season loss and maybe play a tighter game against a lesser opponent in a lesser BCS bowl. Bama was a dog and ND was the rag doll in it's mouth. ND thought they had a plan but like Mike Tyson used to say, "Everyone has a plan against me until they get hit". The Irish were outclassed in every area of the game. I believe one of the announcers said the SEC's average margin of victory in BCS championship games was 34-17. But like Big just mentioned, I think Bama could have scored 1-2 more times if they wanted. It's funny, because Brian Kelly looked like he'd been hit during the halftime interview...he knew it was over and wanted to throw in the towel.

By the way, I think we all know Dedan's day job now...professional bookie.

I'm not so sure ND's arse-chewing last night won't hurt recruiting. They may have been better off with a close regular season loss and maybe play a tighter game against a lesser opponent in a lesser BCS bowl. Bama was a dog and ND was the rag doll in it's mouth. ND thought they had a plan but like Mike Tyson used to say, "Everyone has a plan against me until they get hit". The Irish were outclassed in every area of the game. I believe one of the announcers said the SEC's average margin of victory in BCS championship games was 34-17. But like Big just mentioned, I think Bama could have scored 1-2 more times if they wanted. It's funny, because Brian Kelly looked like he'd been hit during the halftime interview...he knew it was over and wanted to throw in the towel.

By the way, I think we all know Dedan's day job now...professional bookie.

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Yeah ND's plan sucked, if they had one at all. So much talk about Brian Kelly being "one of the best coaches in college football" and how he's in that upper echelon of coaches...I just don't buy it. He's done a nice job at ND to get them winning games, but he isn't in the same league as Saban, not even close.

The bolded part is just wild. The fact that this league hasn't just been winning these title games, they've largely been dominating them. If anything, it makes me feel a hell of a lot better about Oregon losing 22-19 on a last second Auburn FG in the 2011 Title game.

I agree with the idea that this could hurt recruiting, but I don't think it matters either way. I feel like every year you've got ND in the top 5-10 of recruiting classes and yet they can't win a big game. I remember Charlie Weis was a "recruiting master", and he brought in so many blue chippers, people started talking national titles (sigh). We all know how that turned out.

What I don't understand is how teams like ND, Michigan, FSU and others always get top classes, but it doesn't translate to wins in big games, or in some cases (like Texas these last few years) poor seasons overall. It can't all be about coaching...Can it?

By the way, I think we all know Dedan's day job now...professional bookie.

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Tell ya what amigo, I'll lay 8-to-5 odds that I'll be presiding over the wedding of volleygirl and r2473 ..... courtesy of the powers invested in me by the great state of intoxication ;-)

Notre Dame: after you're done picking up your jocks, please report back to South Bend to pick up your consolation prizes:

in ND's defense:
Big Server .... it looks and sounds like you could use an out-of-the-freezer Bailey's Irish Cream (topped with a Jamison 'floater'). Great cure for football angst ;-)

Seriously, seeth all you want but you have to admit that...well, there it was: staring the Ducks right in the face: Ducks vs. Bama for all the marbles. I recall USC laying 50+ points on them?....hmmm, wonder what the 'Bama Big Boy Co. of Warmack, Jones et al upfront might've done? .... remember: ND wasn't even ranked in September and they did win a lot of 'big games' to get to where they ended up--it's not their fault they didn't lose prior to January. Just sayin' - regards.

in ND's defense:
Big Server .... it looks and sounds like you could use an out-of-the-freezer Bailey's Irish Cream (topped with a Jamison 'floater'). Great cure for football angst ;-)

Seriously, seeth all you want but you have to admit that...well, there it was: staring the Ducks right in the face: Ducks vs. Bama for all the marbles. I recall USC laying 50+ points on them?....hmmm, wonder what the 'Bama Big Boy Co. of Warmack, Jones et al upfront might've done? .... remember: ND wasn't even ranked in September and they did win a lot of 'big games' to get to where they ended up--it's not their fault they didn't lose prior to January. Just sayin' - regards.

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I'm not saying we deserved to be there over ND, not this season. Doesn't take anything away from how embarrassing it is to see ND get blown out in these games every time they get there.

As for the USC game...Yeah, they scored 51 points. A few things...Our defense was so banged up at that point, we had four freshman playing the majority of the game on the D line. USC played the best game of their season, hands down. They played like a team with the talent (offensively) to be worthy of the #1 ranking. USC also deflated the balls to help their passing offense. No idea how that actually affected anything, but they cheated and still lost by 11.

BTW, Oregon allowed 20 points per game on defense in the 2012 season (including the Fiesta Bowl). All the rep for Oregon being "terrible" defensively is ridiculous, especially when you consider the fact that for the first half of the season, the 2nd and 3rd string defenders played the entire second half. There was a stat looking at defense when the score was within 28 points, and Oregon ranked 3rd behind Alabama and ND in yards per play. It's a misnomer.

The Oregon defense did something that no SEC team could do in 2010: Marginalize Cam Newton for 4 quarters. An Auburn team that averaged nearly 43 points against vaunted SEC defenses scored just 22 against Oregon.

After all that...Do I think Oregon beats Alabama the title game this year? No. But do I think the outcome is in question for longer than 5 minutes? Yes. I do think that Oregon would have put up a better fight.